Colombia vs Mexico: Military personnel
Colombia
256,000 people
in 2022
Mexico
216,000 people
in 2022
Colombia rank
20th
Mexico rank
23rd
Military personnel over time
- Colombia
- Mexico
How they compare
Colombia currently reports 256,000 people against 216,000 people in Mexico, a difference of 40,000 people.
That makes Colombia's figure about 1.2 times Mexico's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 186 shared years of data; in 1831 it was Mexico ahead.
Colombia ranks 20th and Mexico ranks 23rd of 194 countries.
Across the 20 decades both report, Colombia averaged higher in 2 and Mexico in 18.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Colombia | Mexico | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 3,333 people | 25,000 people | 21,667 people | Mexico |
| 1840s | 8,000 people | 20,300 people | 12,300 people | Mexico |
| 1850s | 2,100 people | 25,500 people | 23,400 people | Mexico |
| 1860s | 1,900 people | 24,200 people | 22,300 people | Mexico |
| 1870s | 2,200 people | 20,600 people | 18,400 people | Mexico |
| 1880s | 4,100 people | 24,300 people | 20,200 people | Mexico |
| 1890s | 4,500 people | 37,200 people | 32,700 people | Mexico |
| 1900s | 6,000 people | 29,800 people | 23,800 people | Mexico |
| 1910s | 6,111 people | 83,667 people | 77,556 people | Mexico |
| 1920s | 6,900 people | 76,700 people | 69,800 people | Mexico |
| 1930s | 11,700 people | 54,700 people | 43,000 people | Mexico |
| 1940s | 15,800 people | 65,400 people | 49,600 people | Mexico |
| 1950s | 16,800 people | 52,600 people | 35,800 people | Mexico |
| 1960s | 48,300 people | 67,400 people | 19,100 people | Mexico |
| 1970s | 53,500 people | 94,000 people | 40,500 people | Mexico |
| 1980s | 73,000 people | 136,400 people | 63,400 people | Mexico |
| 1990s | 139,400 people | 198,500 people | 59,100 people | Mexico |
| 2000s | 201,600 people | 209,300 people | 7,700 people | Mexico |
| 2010s | 288,600 people | 274,300 people | 14,300 people | Colombia |
| 2020s | 268,333 people | 222,667 people | 45,667 people | Colombia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, Colombia or Mexico?
- Colombia, at 256,000 people against 216,000 people in Mexico as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between Colombia and Mexico?
- 40,000 people, with Colombia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Colombia and Mexico?
- 186 years are reported by both, from 1831 to 2022.
- How do Colombia and Mexico rank globally for military personnel?
- Colombia ranks 20th and Mexico ranks 23rd of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.